Argentina interim coach unsure about his future

Buenos Aires, Nov. 15, 2018: The interim coach of Argentina's national soccer team, Lionel Scaloni, said here Thursday that he is uncertain whether the federation will make his appointment permanent. EPA/EFE

Buenos Aires, Nov. 15, 2018: The interim coach of Argentina's national soccer team, Lionel Scaloni, said here Thursday that he is uncertain whether the federation will make his appointment permanent. EPA/EFE

EFE

The interim coach of Argentina's national soccer team said here Thursday that he is uncertain whether the federation will make his appointment permanent.

"I can't hope for something that doesn't exist today, it's not real, those are all hypotheses," Lionel Scaloni told reporters at a press conference prior to Friday's friendly in Cordoba against Mexico.

That match, and another against the same opponent next Tuesday in Mendoza, will round out Argentina's schedule for 2018 and Scaloni's tenure as interim coach.

However, the Argentine soccer federation has not confirmed any replacement for Scaloni, meaning that the interim coach may be under consideration as permanent manager of the squad.

"We'll be here until Tuesday," Scaloni said, adding that he expects to turn next month to prepare the Argentina U-20 squad for the U-20
World Cup
qualifiers, set to begin in February.

However, whether Foyth can play or not is still doubtful since according to Scaloni he suffered a "rather large" cut during training on Wednesday and if he is unable to play Gabriel Mercado will take his place during the match.

Argentina remains without their superstar and captain, Lionel Messi, who has been on leave from international duty since the team's disappointing performance at the 2018 World Cup.